Original Xbox gamers all "fondly" remember the huge controller it came with called The Duke probably because it was so large that individuals with normal-sized hands found it cumbersome to hold.
Still, it was quite an experience to use, like a steering wheel with buttons. Now those who miss the old glory days can relive it again soon on the Xbox One and even on Windows 10.
The Duke Is Officially Returning
The return of The Duke made rounds online back in June, and this time around, one of the original designers of the controller Seamus Blackley just got the official go-ahead from Microsoft for its final prototype, confirming the news on Twitter.
In collaboration with peripheral maker Hyperkin, Blackley managed to build a carbon copy of The Duke. On an interesting note, Hyperkin is behind the hardware emulator that turns smartphones into Game Boys.
Now from the look of things, Blackley and the manufacturer are set to dole out a dose of nostalgia and perhaps bring about memories of aching hands for Xbox fans.
#NewDuke has gone to tooling and is approved by @Xbox THIS IS HAPPENING! pic.twitter.com/zSVA4TFh08
— Seamus Blackley (@SeamusBlackley) September 20, 2017
In other words, it looks exactly like the original 17-year-old controller across the board — from the button layout to the form factor — except for a few noticeable upgrades of sorts: an OLED screen in the center that displays an animated version of the Xbox logo and a 9-foot breakaway cord.
I can finally show my miserable OLED mockup. #DUKE #XBOXE3 everyone should thank @Hyperkin @XboxP3 @Shpeshal_Ed pic.twitter.com/U4wOhSsGKp — Seamus Blackley (@SeamusBlackley) June 12, 2017
The Duke Is Happening
At the moment, it's still unclear when it'll go up for grabs or how much it'll hold customers back.
However, as mentioned earlier, Blackley confirmed that the final prototype has been approved by Microsoft. On top of that, it's already in the tooling phase to create the plastic molds. What these tell us is that The Duke may be available just in time for the holidays.
To boil things down, an upgraded version of The Duke is coming back soon, and it's heading straight to the Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs. Just like Microsoft's Xbox One Enhanced program, it's out to deliver a better gaming experience — sort of.
With all said and done, what do you think of the original Xbox controller's return? Feel free to hit us in the comments section below and let us know.
